New Year, New YUM: Gram's Cookies Cookie Recipe

What better way to start off the new year than with a little cookie goodness? 

Gram, of Gram's Cookies shares one of her favorite cookie recipes with us, so YOU can start your new year off right: with a YUM!

For those of us who can't find the time to bake, I'm glad we can find Gram's Cookies every Saturday at the Midtown Bazaar. She'll be sure to have loads of deliriously delicious fresh baked treats, including classic chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, white-chocolate macadamia, to her almost-famous specialty cookies, like MY favorite: Toffee Crunch. Be sure to stop by this Saturday, and pick up your favorites for YOUR favorites!

Got Gram? Gram's Cookies are made with quality ingredients and made with love.

 

Recipe:

 

Shortbread cookies were my grandmother's favorite. I particularly like the macadamia nuts but you can also substitute your favorite nut(s).  There is a rich but delicate flavor to this cookie.  Hope you enjoy it!

Macadamia Shortbread Cookies:

 

2 cups butter (softened at room temperature)

1 cup + 3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups finely chopped macadamia nuts

1/3 cup raw sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

 

In a large mixer bowl, cream butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy (2 to 3 minutes).  Add the flour and cake flour (a little at a time-since it will incorporate better) and beat until smooth.  Add chopped macadamia nuts and raw sugar in a small bowl.  Make one inch dough balls and roll in macadamia nut/sugar mixture.  Place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet, and slightly flatten each dough ball.  Bake for about 15 minutes.  Cool on rack. Makes about 48 cookies.   

 

Baking Tip: 

 

When are butter and sugar creamed together properly? 

 

These two ingredients change right before your eyes if you watch the 2 to 3 minute process.  The sugar-butter mixture will be chunky at first. Then it turns sandy or gritty.  The two will look like the mixer is flattening them against the sides of the bowl.  But, after 2 to 3 minutes you can observe that the butter will have lightened from pale yellow to an off white. With the aid of the sugar crystals and the air that you have beaten in, the butter and sugar are properly creamed.

 

Gram's Cookies with be at the Midtown Bazaar this Saturday, January 8th, from 10 am-4 pm when the Bazaar is back and open for business. See you there!